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By GLEN JUSTICE

Published: October 21, 2005

The Republican National Committee raised almost twice as much as its Democratic rival during the first nine months of the year and had roughly five times as much cash in the bank last month, according to reports filed Thursday.

The Republican committee raised roughly $82 million for the year and had about $34 million on hand at the end of September, while the Democratic National Committee raised about $42 million and had almost $7 million on hand.

Though the numbers primarily reflect fund-raising that took place before Representative Tom DeLay's recent indictments in a campaign finance case in Texas, Republican fund-raisers clearly face obstacles despite their success.

White House officials have been embroiled in the Central Intelligence Agency leak case; the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, is under investigation for stock transactions; and President Bush's approval ratings have fallen sharply.

''It's an off-year election and a challenging political climate,'' said Brian Jones, a spokesman for the Republican committee. ''Given the factors, the numbers coming in continue to be solid and put us on pace to do what we need to do.''

Also, both parties halted fund-raising programs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and asked donors to contribute to relief efforts.

While it is common for the Republican Party to raise more money than Democrats, there is no guarantee that a large lead will endure. In last year's presidential race, Mr. Bush started with a vast financial advantage but Senator John Kerry narrowed the gap substantially.

Some fund-raisers say the investigations and criminal cases involving Republicans have created a climate that helps Democratic fund-raising.

''I wouldn't use the word 'easy,' but it's so much more pleasant,'' said Peter Buttenwieser, a major Democratic donor and fund-raiser from Philadelphia. ''You ask people to give, and they want to give.''

Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, says the change is undeniable.

The parties were required to file reports for September to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday.

Mr. Schumer's group is the only Democratic committee that has raised more than its Republican counterpart, according to numbers supplied by the committees. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee brought in about $32 million this year through September and had about $19 million on hand. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised about $28 million and had roughly $9 million on hand.

In the House, the National Republican Congressional Committee raised about $52 million and had almost $18 million banked, according to the committee's figures. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised about $33 million and had about $11 million on hand.

Lawmakers and challengers have also continued to raise millions of dollars for next year's elections. In the House alone, candidates brought in more than $202 million through September, according to an analysis by the Election Commission.

Mr. DeLay, for example, raised about $2.3 million this year and had about $1.2 million on hand Sept. 30. His political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, which filed a report on Thursday, also continued to raise money. The committee brought in almost $94,000 in September and about $844,000 this year, records show. It had roughly $88,000 in the bank.